The S'Klallam Nation, once peacefully occupied a large portion of what is now the Olympic Peninsula, where the S'Klallam, meaning "Strong People", enjoyed a prosperous existence. White explorers to the S'Klallam region in the late 1700s described a land of plenty, the beaches teeming with shellfish, and rivers abundant with many different species of fish.

When Isaac Stevens came to the Pacific Northwest in the mid-1800s, his focus was to establish treaties with tribal nations. By this time, the S'Klallam were greatly weakened by diseases brought by the settlers. In this weakened state, our ancestors agreed to cede approximately 400,000 acres of the Olympic Peninsula and the Olympic mountains to the U.S. government under the terms of the 1855 Treaty of Point No Point. Our proud ancestors insisted that their fishing, hunting, and gathering practices would continue forever, because these were priceless.

The terms of the Treaty of Point No Point directed that the many bands of the S'Klallam Nation move to the Skokomish Reservation at the south end of Hood Canal. Very few of the S'Klallam people took this offer seriously. The majority of S'Klallam people settled, instead, into three villages located in Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Gamble. All three communities eventually received federal recognition as separate individual Tribes.

The S'Klallams that settled on Port Gamble Bay in the early 1800s were dislocated from their village site when Pope and Talbot decided to build a sawmill there in 1853. The Tribe agreed to relocate to Point Julia after they were promised assistance in building homes, and were hired at the mill. The S'Klallam men became the backbone of the mill's workforce for nearly 150 years until its closure in 1995. Point Julia, and the surrounding 1400 acres, eventually became the Port Gamble S'Klallam Reservation.

Our people are traditionally fishermen, and traveled long distances to the various rivers to harvest salmon. It became difficult to maintain these practices, when white settlers would claim prime property and place "no trespassing," signs on traditional harvesting sites. For that reason, the shellfish of Hood Canal became a more important economic resource for our people who then made a greater part of their livelihood harvesting and selling shellfish.

Today the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe is enjoying a time of prosperity, and its rich culture is being resurrected in language, art, and the social interactions with the neighboring "canoe culture" Tribes. The Tribe owns The Point Casino located on the north end of the Kitsap Peninsula on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Reservation, just minutes away from majestic Kingston and less than an hour away from downtown Seattle and Edmonds. With over 400 slot machines, various table games, and a wonderful restaurant, The Point Casino is the place to enjoy exceptional northwest cuisine and have fun seven days a week.

Come and visit the Gliding Eagle Market Place, a new full service convenience store that offers enormous product variety, gasoline and diesel fuel, a delicatessen and a drive-thru espresso operation.

360-297-2646
http://www.pgst.nsn.us/